


Come Back To You

by ReclessAbandon



Category: Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Duel of the Fates, F/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Rescue Mission, Scarif, inquisitor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-23 14:36:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReclessAbandon/pseuds/ReclessAbandon
Summary: Despite the lack of the Holocron, the Empire still managed to steal away Force-sensitive children from their families belonging in various systems and then spirited away to another fortress in Scarif. In the middle of a rescue mission, Darth Vader interfered and Cal’s worst fears has been realized.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Reader
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

Cere briefed you two with the mission time and time again. It was completely understandable. It was a now or never kind of mission. Children within the system that were stolen, abducted, or downright taken away from their families have been transported against their will to one of the Fortress Inquisitorius. Their lives are at stake.

The plan was to split up, infiltrate the base, find and then take the children. There was the unnerving possibility that you might run into Darth Vader—after learning that he spearheads all of the Inquisitors—but all of you were prepared for that.

You had to take the long way in. Cere circled around, taking the back entrance—if there was any. Cutting through small batches of Stormtroopers until you hitched a ride in the elevator from the ground surface to the main fortress.

Cal was noticeably shaky, but so are you. The lump in his throat was almost sticking out.

“Are you okay?” your shaky tone almost drowned in the rumble of the lift.

“Yeah. You?”

“I’m not. But I’m trying to be,”

For a moment, you sounded unsure, but you knew you have to fight whatever inhibition is taking over your core. Cal’s words rang in your head: _“Let’s leave their destiny to the will of the Force.”_

You wonder if this was what the Force willed; was it a forcible intervention of the Inquisition, perhaps? The latter seemed to be the most realistic speculation. The children could be starved, exhausted, and positively traumatized. So many thoughts and questions ran, distracting you from the objective at hand; but all of you were determined of rescuing those children.

The elevator halted with a loud clang, the doors whipped open, and you nonchalantly walked out of the lift. The hallways were eerily quiet, Cal signaled BD-1 to flash the map, he suggested both of you head to the western hallway first—trace back your steps if the cell block happens to be in the other way. Now heading west, you evaded a pair of patrolling Stormtroopers—unaware of your presence, they took the left turn until you could quietly slip past.

“The whole ‘stay out of trouble’ policy is a little new to me,” you cracked the joke in a whisper only within Cal’s earshot.

He stifled a chuckle, “Should be hard for you, my little troublemaker,”

You shrugged, “I’ll get used to it.”

At the same time, you can’t help but feel bad for the planet, Scarif. It’s such an idyllic planet. You’ve always wanted to go to the beach at least once and this was the perfect one; but the Empire has tainted it—the Inquisitorius to be specific—only for their exploitative gain. Imagining the place without the Imperial infrastructures, the place is a perfect getaway spot. Too bad the Empire beat you to it.

You came across a door, your instincts tell you to proceed with utter caution. The other side of this door could lead to the cell block where the children could possibly be kept. Lightsabers at the ready, you and Cal took a deep breath before giving BD-1 the green light to slice the terminal.

“How many kids do you think are in there?” Cal asked, trying to ease the impending tension.

“Honestly, I’m more worried how many kids we can get _out_ of there,”

“Good point,”

You nodded at BD-1 and he sliced the terminal, causing the blast doors to open and close at your disposal without the need of a keycard. Surprisingly, the corridor was empty, at the end of it was another terminal-operated door. You look at the grates at the level of your feet, presuming they’ve caged the children in the same manner as the Wookiees.

Your wariness increased tenfold. Though the grates are empty, what is further ahead is the cause of the goosebumps riddling your arms and the hairs standing on the back of your neck. Only God knows what is beyond that door and what is happening on the other side.

“Don’t worry, I feel it too,” Cal reassured you.

Stepping through the door, your entry went unnoticed. You stood on a platform while keeping your distance from the rails and stayed in the shadows. Recalling the mission briefing, Cere should have made it to the other entrance of the block—which is the door right across where you stand. If Cere is going to need access into the block, she’ll be needing your help; but first, the guards need to get out of the way.

“Ready, [y/n]?”

“Yeah, now or never.”

The pair of you have made it a joint habit of making entrances if the situation permits. Both of you sprang from the platform and solidly landing into the center. The reaction of one Stormtrooper alerted his comrades, all of them took the offense. In the midst of the skirmish, Cal signaled BD-1 to get to the terminal to get Cere into the fray. You covered for BD-1 in case a trooper spots him and tries to shoot him. In less than a minute, she has joined you—disarming and then incapacitating the Stormtroopers on the upper floors.

The fight was short-lived. The three of you searched the entire cell block. The place splits into three directions from the center, the idea was to take each direction, take up and free as many children you can find. In the cell you found, to least five of them were cramped in a single cell.

“Come with me, we’re getting you out of here!”

That was enough proof for the children to trust you. They willingly come running up to you and leave the cell. You counted: there were five children. They eagerly head out to the center foyer. Little did you know that you’ve miscounted; there was a last child in that cell—the smallest and obviously the youngest—a little boy probably five years old. The mere sight of him in this horrid cell wrenched your gut. You wagered he hasn’t learned to speak properly yet. Careful not to scare him, you slowly entered the cell, approaching him and introducing yourself.

“Don’t worry. I will help you,” you slowly spoke, hoping he’d comprehend.

You extended your hand to him, he looked at it curiously—as if not knowing what to do with it—and then he looked at you. His sad, blank gaze almost made you weep. Seconds later, he comes up to with his little arms trying to wrap you; you scooped him up your arms and both of you head out of the cell.

Shepherding them into the center, all three of you regroup with your own batches of kids; the way out was in the north entrance just up ahead. The hiss and abrupt clang of the blast door of the first floor south entrance made everybody freeze—adult and child alike.

No one was coming out of the door, and yet there was an unsettling stillness in the room. All of your senses ceased function when you heard the heavy mechanical breathing in the midst of the fog.


	2. Chapter 2

You felt your stomach fall to your feet. A pure black silhouette gradually appeared in the smoke. The shadow inflicted enough fear among everyone in the room. When the haze settled down, the light in the hallway highlighted the sleekness of his black suit—there was a powerful, kingly air about him.

Seeing him standing in front of you increased your fright in a hundred fold. His overwhelming presence has made you mute that all you could do is breathe rapidly.

Cal and Cere’s eyes widened in horror. All memories of _that_ day come rushing back into their minds, still fresh like an open wound—the same towering shadow from Nur that they barely escaped from.

He walked out of the fog, at his mercy, he gave you a warning.

“It would be wise if you return those children to their cells,”

Through your clenched teeth, you hissed. “NO, YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH US FIRST!”

“I was hoping you would put up more of a challenge, child.”

Unimpressed with your bluff, Darth Vader ignited his lightsaber—a blood-red glow hummed out of the elegant silver hilt—you hoped that the distance between you remains the same.

“RUN!” you commanded.

You handed over the small child to Cere as they make a run for it.

The children were at the front of the herd, with Cal and Cere behind them, while you stayed at the tail. A huge part of you screamed to not look back and just keep running. Stormtroopers that were idling in corners of the corridors intervened, aiming their blasters at the three of you—but their projectiles were easily deflected and banked by you and Cal’s lightsabers.

You bumped into another three-way intersection, the north door was locked but the westward door wasn’t—except it was lined with four Stormtroopers who stopped the children at their tracks. Meanwhile, from the east door where you came from, Darth Vader is still hot on your trail. He is persistent in _personally_ delivering the children back to the prisons.

“Take cover!” Cere instructed the children, they all huddled together against the wall of the north door.

Cere—with Trilla’s former lightsaber replaced with a yellow kyber crystal—deflected the blasts and banked them all to their senders. An easy fight. Meanwhile, you and Cal teamed up against Darth Vader. Even outnumbering him two to one in person and three to one in lightsabers, no one can deny his prowess with the weapon.

Without compromising your technique and form, you hoped to tire him and overwhelm him with your strikes to which he sensed the anger and pain within you. In the right timing, he planned to use it against you, to exploit and weaken you, so that the deed will be all too easy for him to accomplish.

“Those children belong here,” Darth Vader declared almost too certainly.

“No, they don’t!” you roared.

Your adrenaline helped you push him away with enough force to stagger him. Shooting out your two arms, you Force-pushed this walking tower of a Dark Lord to his knees as he lost his footing, the gap between where you and Vader stood grew. He saw himself tilting his head up, realizing that he’s been brought to the ground; as a matter of fact, he wasn’t even enraged, he was rather impressed by your untapped strength.

“Ah I see now,” he coolly said, unfazed with this whole ordeal. “You have anger, hate, and pain. But you do not use it.”

This time, you extended one arm but your fingers trembled as they curled inward to your palm. You focused your aim on Vader’s torso, narrowing your sights on that small control panel fixed on the center of his suit; you visualized it crumbling in your hands, sending sparks flying as the metal plating starts to crumple—the material was tougher than you thought.

Obviously, it was working, Darth Vader seemed to be fumbling—you didn’t even notice that he wasn’t even fighting back, or at least he wasn’t trying to. You continued to crunch the control panel on his suit and he still does not retaliate.

“There, the Dark Side of the Force is giving you your true strength. I see it in you. A trait befittingly worthy of an Inquisitor,”

“I’m better than that!”

“We shall see,”

Darth Vader simply raised his left hand, his hand positioned as if holding something; on your right, you heard Cal coughing and struggling to breathe.

“Cal?”

“Surrender the children or _he dies_ ,”

He managed to find your weakness right then and there. The slightest movement of his fingers and his grasp on Cal tightens with every inch. At that moment, you knew you had to make a decision. You looked at Cal—the veins of his neck were throbbing, the sides of his mouth were already foaming, and his cheeks were turning into a deep red.

“No! Take me in exchange for their freedom!”

Cal studied the face looking back at him. The brave girl whom he loves so dearly, more than anything in this galaxy. The true friend he had as a child and the love of his life as a young man. A single tear rolling down your cheek, and immediately he knew what you were about to do—and he _does not_ like it.

“No…” he begged as he choked.

“I’m so sorry,”

“[Y/N], NO!!”

You broke Darth Vader’s hold from Cal by attacking with an overhead strike to which Vader immediately blocked. The close contact afforded you distance to kick him away, it was enough to straggle him again, and—with all your might—you Force-pushed Cal with Cere and the children to the west hallway. You used the Force to switch on the ray shields at the terminal from where you stand.

“[Y/N], WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!” Cal screeched.

“I’ll come back to you. I always do. I promise.” You calmly said in contrast.

Cal’s emotions were in a complete mix. But primarily, he was distressed.

“No, I won’t leave you here with _him!_ BD-1, slice the terminal in this side!”

“Cal, listen, you have to run and get the children out! NOW!”

When Cal was constantly objecting to this enormous change of plan, Cere had to drag him away but he violent shrugged away her hand on him. Cere escorted the children out of the facility while Cal froze in place, watching you cross blades with Darth Vader. He remembered he once told you that he believes in anything you do; but of all things, he never expected _this_ to happen to you, he never expected _you_ to do _that_.

“[y/n]…” he muttered under his breath, he actually hoped you’d hear it.

As Vader shifted all his strength on his strike, your muscles twitched as you strained to deflect the blow. He sensed the fighting spirit in you—it was full of light, yet that light was uncertain and had no firm resolve, he saw your struggle right through you. He inched closer, the gleaming red beam his lightsaber emphasizing the sharp edges of his mask.

“Give it up. If only you knew the power of the Dark Side of the Force,”

In the mingling lights of your sabers, you were unsure if you were imagining it. His eyes were showing through the thin film on his mask—you saw that they were angry but tired.

Cere returned to Cal, she aggressively hooked her arm around his and practically dragged him away.

“Cal, we have no choice, we don’t have time!” Cere insisted. “We have to trust [y/n] on this one.”

Reluctantly, Cal regrouped with Cere and rendezvoused back to the ship. The children were picked up by a few of Mirienna’s partisans who volunteered to come with. Meanwhile, the action was still on between you and Vader. Neither of you seem to be tiring out—but eventually one will have to emerge as victor.

“You are wasting our time, child,” Vader bellowed.

A heavy backhand struck you across the face and knocked you out cold.


	3. Chapter 3

Cal and Cere along with the children reached the surface safely, with no casualties—most importantly among the children. It was a miracle mission, the first of its kind. Despite the positive outcome, Cal could not help but think of you—and the thought of you against Vader. No Jedi ever survived him.

Everyone had to pitch in with helping with the victims. While Cal wasn’t particularly skilled with medical works professionally, he knew how to treat wounds and first-aid. He recognized the boy that you personally carried out of the cell. He had cuts on his hands and arms, most likely obtained from the escape; the bruises on his cheeks and neck suggested that it came from the torturing. Cal thought that getting a pommel to the face was the best mercy a child could ever receive in that place.

“Let’s get you some ice on that,” Cal cooed at the child.

The little child didn’t speak, though he understood what was being told to him. He stayed where he stood and waited for Cal to come back with a cold compress. He gently dabbed the frozen bag on the boy’s bruises, asking him if it hurts from time to time, and then finally disinfecting the cuts on his arms and hands.

“Do you have a name?”

No response, but Cal didn’t push it. He patched up the cut with Bacta tapes—which he had to trim down because the child’s hands were so small.

“She saved you, didn’t she?”

The boy immediately knew who Cal was talking about. He nodded while fiddling the Bacta tape on his arms.

“Yeah… She saved me too,”

He stared back at Cal, even if his face didn’t show it, he was surprised that he found something in common with Cal—it was you. Cal politely dismissed the child, letting him join the other children and then he joined in on Cere having a word with the partisans.

“Cere, a word?” he politely cuts in.

Cere dismissed the partisans before facing Cal.

“I’m going back in there, I can’t stand thinking that I’ve left [y/n] behind,”

Cere sighed, trying her best to understand what Cal was feeling. It took her a good minute before gathering the right words to explain their current predicament.

“Look, Cal, I understand that you want to go and help [y/n], but right now, we have more pressing matters. Mirienna was only able to bring in a small shuttle, it won’t fit _all_ of these children. There’s roughly twelve or fifteen of them!”

“You and Mirienna can worry about returning the kids back to their homes, but I will not stand by knowing that [y/n] just went against the _damn Sith Lord and leader of the fucking Inquisitorius!!_ ”

“You want to go in there again and waste her efforts in saving us all especially these children? Then fine, be my guest—be everyone’s guest! What do you think she would do if she were in _your_ place?! I know that both of you know that this was one of the possible risks of this mission! _SHE WOULD HAVE REMINDED YOU OF THAT!_ ”

A gloom draped over Cere and Cal in that heated argument. Cal was at a loss for words. He doesn’t know what to say back. Cere’s point was sound. All eyes were on them, the clueless children stared whilst the partisans awkwardly averted their eyes and pretended to do other stuff—but all of those didn’t matter to Cal.

“Cal, understand that we need all the extra helping hands that we can get and you’re one of them. The least I could do is dispatch a rescue unit with you, but I can only do that in a few hours—it may take us hours to get everything done down here.”

“That isn’t _enough_ time!”

“Then what would you have me do?! I told you that it was the least I could! Do you think I want to leave her behind in this planet too? No, everyone I come with, I leave with!”

“Then I’m going in there, with or without your help.” Cal firmly said, his resolve slowly solidifying. He was keen in his own plan of rescuing you.

Cere—for the first time ever—grappled tightly on Cal’s arm, her eyebrows pulled together and her eyes deeply looking back into Cal’s, who was just as angry but to the whole circumstance in particular.

“Listen to me, Cal, please. Help me first here. I know she would do what you plan to do—if you two switched places.”

Cal inched closer, his nostrils flared as his eyes burned intensely.

“I am still going to bring back her back.” He snarled.

 _Let them stare and listen for all I care!_ His mind roared.

“We are done talking about this for now, we will continue later once everything about the children has been prepared.”

Cere walked away, towards the cluster of partisans, but before she could even get far, Cal stopped her in her tracks.

“So, we’re just going to leave her behind? You can feel it too, don’t you? You know she’s alive—you believe it, the same way I do.”

That claim was perhaps Cal’s trump card. Cere cannot deny it—she _still_ feels you, which implied that you are still alive at one point. In her mind, she was actually impressed that you could have lasted this long against Vader.

Cere turned around, looking at Cal straight in the eyes to show the sincerity of her answer.

“Yes Cal,” her expression seemed to have mellowed, but her heart remained an anchor, still in fear of the fate that you have put yourself into. “I believe that she is still alive.”

Cal had one glance at the children and he was absolutely torn. He didn’t care if he looked bad to the partisans or children, he just didn’t want the kids to see that someone was walking out on them. He had no choice but to help with the relief effort—he had first-aid duties, feeding them and giving them time and space to relax before their big trip home. The whole effort took about four hours until the evening. The team still had to call on two reinforcements and the original plan is being compromised due to the inadequate resources—transportation, medicine, and food being the top three in the priority list.

The sky had begun to darken, stars were appearing one by one, and the sun had set. The children were able to loosen up by playing by the shore, completely ignoring the infrastructure that housed them for days or probably weeks.

Cal sat down on the sand, watched the kids play near the water and sand, making sculptures with crude tools like oddly-shaped rocks and sticks and splashing each other with the cool water—with the supervision of a partisan or two, of course. Some of them huddled together in the campfire, listening to the partisans’ stories of adventures. He managed a smile, even while his lingering thoughts constantly dwelled on you.

His eyes turned to the fortress, its spire towering and piercing the heaven, a horrid black mark in a colorful backdrop. Cere joined him, sitting on a crate right next to him. There was no exchange between them upon her arrival, Cal avoided eye contact from her.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” Cal muttered.

“Apology accepted. Cal, please know that I completely understand what you’re feeling.”

“I know…”

“Aren’t you tired? You need sleep. You can’t take on enemies when you’re sleep-deprived,”

“I’ve been through worse.”

Cal disregarded Cere’s good-willed intentions, but he couldn’t deny that he’s feeling sleepy and tired but yet he feels restless. Every hour passed is another hour wasted, he thought.

“Please Cal, get some sleep first, I’m begging you.”

He said nothing, he only nodded. Cere excused herself and stood up to walk away.

“It’s been a while since I’ve witnessed that kind of love—let alone from a Jedi. She’s very fortunate, having a love like that—from you, no less.”

After saying her piece, Cere retreated to the Mantis to sleep. The children were already being called by the medics for bedtime. Cal would shoot small nods at the fighters as they walked past him. The sound of children’s laughter was replaced with the waves crashing against the shore. The same little boy from earlier approaches Cal; without waiting for the acknowledgement of his presence, the child takes Cal’s hand and puts a necklace on his palm. He immediately recognized the necklace—it was yours, it was the necklace he gave to you not too long ago.

“Where did you get this?!”

The boy was startled when Cal accidentally raised his voice at him. He apologized, saying that he didn’t mean to shout. He studied the necklace and saw that the hook and lock had been snapped forcefully. His fingers hovered over the pendant—a blue gemstone wrapped in a metal coil—he was hesitant to touch it, as it would trigger his Psychometry; his heavy breathing rang in his ears, he later mustered up the courage to touch it and prepare himself of what he was going to see and hear.

_“I love it, but you shouldn’t have!”_

_“NO, YOU HAVE TO GET THROUGH US FIRST!”_

_“RUN!”_

_“I’m so sorry…”_

Cal jerked his eyes open. His shallow, rapid breathing worried the little boy who was watching him the whole time. Both boys’ eyes met and with that, Cal’s resolve to save you is perfectly unshakeable.


	4. Chapter 4

When everyone was asleep, Cal was the only one awake. He finished suiting up his armor over his black jumpsuit and clipping his lightsaber onto his belt loop.

He snuck out of the camp and headed to the fortress.

“Boo-woop?”

“Yes I know it’s a bad idea that we’re not letting Cere now, but we can’t leave [y/n], can we?”

“Boo!”

“I knew you’d agree,”

The path he took was literally the same path that he and you took earlier. Underneath his calm demeanor, Cal’s entire being is shaking. All the thoughts, assumptions, and scenarios he’s imagined—both good and bad—flooded his mind, nearly clouding his vision. BD-1’s occasional chirping distracted him from such thoughts, to which he was thankful for.

When the elevator halted, the door opened and he prowled through the hallways. After the little stunt that the three of you pulled, the security increased but Cal had little trouble in dealing with swarms of Scout Troopers, Stormtroopers, and Imperial security droids. When given the chance, BD-1 would hop onto the probe droids floating about and hack their main programming, practically turning them against the Stormtroopers. BD would sneakily hop back into hiding without any of the enemies suspecting.

The hacked probe droids afforded Cal to save up on his energy in fighting Purge Troopers and swarms of enemies when need be. Prowling through the hallways, he made his way to the same cell block but it appeared to be empty. The fact that he can still sense your presence comforted him, it gave him hope.

“Where could she be?” Cal muttered to himself, exploring all three directions of the cell block.

The south entrance was the only one that was left untouched. Cal walked through the door with the thought that you could still be anywhere. The idea of you being kept in a torture chamber was spine-chilling, nonetheless still likely. When the door retracted into its metal frame, the other side revealed to be an empty dojo.

“Strange, I guess no one’s doing practice today,” Cal commented.

The silence crept on him, although he denies it, he can’t help but shiver at the gust of wind blowing into this pores. The trickling sweat on his temples seemed to have been frozen by the chill. While his back was turned, someone arrived—and in quite the entrance too. From the sound of it, it would appear that the newcomer jumped down from their perch and showed their self.

Cal quickly turned around, igniting his lightsaber instantaneously, and faced the new adversary accompanied by three Purge Troopers. It was an Inquisitor, albeit a new one—in addition, a Sister. He studied her from head to toe. Something about this new Inquisitor gave him a strange feeling that couldn’t pinpoint.

Her helmet covered her face but left her chin and jaw exposed, the only thing that stood out in color in her mask was the single, red, horizontal line across where her eyes are, the helmet was secured underneath a hood. Her suit appeared to be lightweight, perfect for mobility and for her build.

“Well, haven’t seen you around before,”

The new Inquisitor didn’t react to the comment.

“So, what do they call you around these parts? You surely aren’t the Second Sister, unless you moved up to her spot.”

“Third.”

“Third Sister, gotcha,”

“Enough talk.”

Cal suspected something from the Third Sister. As she ignited her dual-bladed lightsaber—which seemed to be the standard amongst the Inquisitors—Cal followed. For a former Jedi-turned-Inquisitor, she is quite an aggressive fighter, close to the likeness of Master Windu’s fighting style of the Form VII: Vaapad. However, Cal was able to identify something in the Third Sister’s fighting style aside from Form VII, he has found hints of Form V: Shien & Djem So peppered into her technique.

Her lithe body and nimbleness allowed her to use these techniques with great grace and ease. She fought with a youthful ferocity which somewhat made her just as a formidable foe as that Trilla. Cal continued to watch and study her every move, how she facilitated every strike and slash at him, how she evades him and how she would switch from offense to defense. She was able to deal some damage on Cal, destroying his defense and exhausting him from blocking too often.

“Why aren’t you fighting!?” she angrily roared despite her mask muffling her voice.

When there was a gap between the two of them, she came running up towards Cal, and in her right timing, she sprang from the floor with her saber positioned for an overhead strike. Cal could feel the energy oozing out of her very being. He somehow predicted that there will be a shockwave-like burst upon impact once she lands.

This was no random prediction. That was a very familiar move. The longer this duel took, the more he lets his inner voice convince him.

“No…” he muttered to himself.

The thought rushed into his mind quickly; he processed them as he fought this new Inquisitor.

Suddenly, his inner voice was screaming something, but he was in pure denial. He shuts the voice out, refusing to listen—refusing to believe. This part of him is shouting vigorously that the voice almost spills out of his ears.

_It’s her…_

Cal shrugs off the thought, refusing to acknowledge it, as he continue to cut through the Third Sister’s defenses.

_You just can’t accept it._

The Third Sister attempt to equal her strength and skill against Cal’s own level, but she noticed the rage in his eyes. As their lightsabers met and clashed, both colors illuminated the side of Cal’s face, the Third Sister caught a glimpse of the fire in his eyes and she was simply mesmerized by it.

“Ah see, I know that look. Hate, pain… loss.” The Third Sister taunted.

_You’re too late, Cal!_

He cuts at the Third Sister as he pulled away from the clash, she exclaimed in pain, and a portion of her mask clatters to the ground. She holds her face with one hand, trying to ease her pain. This alarmed her Purge Trooper companions, but she stretched her free hand at them.

“No, I’ll deal with him!” she growled and they immediately became bystanders again. Cal noticed that her voice was clearer now.

He saw the piece of metal that he just tore away from the Third Sister’s mask. He wasn’t sure if he was hoping for the best or the worst. When the Third Sister removed her hand from her face, half of her mask has been destroyed by Cal’s attack.

To his horror, it seems that the voice that he has been ignoring all this time was right after all.

A golden hue had begun to take over the original color of your irises, encircling the rims but not close to the pupil; dark circles shaded around your eyes and their lining were swollen red—an implication of ceaseless crying.

Cal saw a stranger with a familiar face.


	5. Chapter 5

Cal’s worst fear has come true.

“No… No!!” he yelled as he choked back crying. “It can’t be!! **YOU** **CAN’T BE!!!** ”

He fought back his tears, he blinked several times only to let them roll down his cheek. In that very moment, time seemed to tick much slower now. Your eyes met his own—distraught and glazed with agony. Even as he wept, he knew that the real [y/n] is still there. Whatever method Vader used to groom you until you became what you are, Cal wasn’t buying any of it.

“[y/n], listen to me, this isn’t you. This is _not_ who you _are_!”

“No, that rage and anger I’ve bottled up all those years—I’ve been looking at it the wrong way. I have made it my strength!”

“No, no, [y/n], please, listen to yourself. That is not the [y/n] I know and love!”

He didn’t want to believe it. He _refused_ to believe it. He believes in your redemption. He will take you back, he will bring you back home, back to him.

“You should just leave while you still can, Cal, I can order these troopers to not shoot you. You can just walk away.”

“No, I won’t leave you again!”

Cal could have sworn that when he let go of those words, your expression shifted into a face of defeat, he could see genuine sadness in your eyes and your tears welling up, further reddening the rims of your eyes—he chose to throw away the ultimate mercy that you could offer—and you knew that you will do what you must.

“Then I’m sorry,”

You ignited your lightsaber and once more you clashed blades with him. In the cloudiness of your vision, you could not see Cal’s true intention, he will fight you until he can bring back the _real_ you.

“I know you, [y/n], you don’t like to stay in the dark for too long,”

He bantered as you dueled. It didn’t matter whether you replied or not. What mattered is that you hear him and you’re listening.

“You’re far better than this, _more_ than this! Why can’t you fight _this_ instead of me? You can fight it, I’ll help you!”

“Stop. Talking!!” you wailed.

The tears have fully clouded your vision, you look away even while maintaining your defense, you blink them away, attempting to keep up the tough, menacing façade—but Cal has broken through it; eyes shifting in confusion as your feelings mingled and thrashed at one another—the real you is still alive and well.

The warm thoughts and memories that are slowly coming back to you are the ones that you subconscious remembers and retains. Vader wasn’t able to tap into that, the good in you and your willpower combined shielded you from that—Cal believing in you backed that up. Finally, the tears rolled down your cheeks as you blinked, the drops landing into the beam of light between you and Cal, he can feel the strength of your block ebbing.

“[y/n], look at me,”

You shuddered as you fought back your tears, you reluctantly turned to look Cal in the eyes, his gaze was not of hate or anger, but the same tenderness that he always had in his eyes whenever he looks back at you. He knew the real you—the girl that he loves—is still underneath that mask. All you have to do is take it off.

“Do you remember your promise? That you’d come back to me, like you always do? Please don’t break that promise.”

Neither of you seem to be backing down—for very different reasons.

A split second was all that Cal could afford in this stalemate. His free hand quickly took and grabbed your wrist, you were completely taken aback as his Psychometry was beginning to take hold of you, siphoning memories and feelings out of you. Cal was able to keep himself steady amidst your struggle, until a calm washed over the both of you—it’s as if time and space in the entire galaxy has completely stopped.

Cal saw your memories, reliving them as if he was the one seeing them with his own eyes.

He saw himself through your point of view. He remembers this moment quite vividly: you two were lying down on the patch of grass in Bogano, basking under the early morning sun mere moments before sunrise, he turned his head to you and smiled back at you.

Then the image warped, switching to another memory—his grip on your wrist was still secure—and now he sees the abode back home, it was still a mess back then but you worked together to fix and clean the place up, he sees the moments where you two played around, dawdled in the middle of house work. He heard your laughter as he lifted you up and spun you around when you’ve finally made it _your_ home.

Moments where you two nearly kissed, there were so many instances of it that they flashed in quick succession. He sees and feels his own grip on your hand, he sees a ballroom of marble filled with music, and then he felt the texture of your dress underneath his fingertips; followed by the memory of the two of you sneaking out in the hallway in the dark of the night while still clad in your evening gown and suit.

 _Naboo_. His mind whispered.

This was his favorite memory: when you visited Naboo and came in at the day of the ball. He thought you were the most beautiful woman in the world when he saw you in your dress, a simple yet elegant golden chain adorning your hair, the way you smiled at him, and the entire moment that you shared in the dance floor.

And finally, a memory of the two of you sitting in a meadow somewhere in the Fractured Plain. Your foreheads were touching, you were softly caressing his face, your fingers playing with the loose locks of his hair as the wind blew, and Cal had his eyes fixated lovingly at you.

_“I love you.”_

He heard his own voice utter these words to you in the memory. All this time, these were the things running in your mind, even as you battled fiercely. All these memories of yours that the Force was able to echo to him made his determination to bring you back home much firmer.

Cal finally decided that he will not let you go. You are coming back home with him and he will make sure of that.

And at that moment, you felt your heart beat again. More tears filled your eyes and rolled away almost immediately. You thought that Vader has groomed you into a heartless, unfeeling monster but the spark in your soul flickered but persevered—a spark that ignited the light back into you. The light that shone on your true self: a Jedi.

“I never… break a promise.”

Cal’s eyes widened, you personally pulled away from your intercrossed lightsabers and quickly tore the mask off, you stretched out your hand to the Purge Troopers—completely taking them by surprise—and Force-pulled them towards you and Cal. Taking each one for yourselves and then teaming up to cut down the third one. Their bodies limped to the ground and then a squad of Stormtroopers come flooding into the dojo.

You and Cal looked to one another, you exchanged smiles, and assumed your stances as the last of the troopers have entered the dojo.

“We have you surrounded!”

“We can see that,” you snarkily replied.

The troopers jumped and swamped on both of you. Their numbers dwindled as you and Cal cut through their herd. They may have thought that they’ve outnumbered you, but they forget that it is Jedi they’re dealing with and anyone in the right mind would not underestimate a Jedi—two at that.

When you saw Cal lowered himself to a crouch as he cut at the legs of the Purge Trooper, you rolled over his back to strike down the incoming Scout Trooper who was ready to lob his electrostaff at Cal from the side. The dynamic was consistent, utilizing and relying on one another as you continue to fight through this gauntlet of enemies.

“I think that’s the last of them. Come on!” you took Cal by the hand and led him out of the dojo.

The two of you have made it into the main corridors. Cal wondered if Darth Vader was at your tail again, but he disregarded the mere probability and just kept running.

“This way!” Cal pointed and took your hand this time. “The Mantis is this way!”

You threw yourselves into the elevator and found Darth Vader menacingly standing at the end of the hallway across the elevator. Your weak knees let you succumb to the floor while catching your breath and seeing the last of Darth Vader before the door sealed themselves shut and then lowered you to the ground.

Your collective heaved breathing filled the whole elevator, but the shakiness of the lift comforted the two of you. Neither of you could bring yourselves up back on your toes. Your legs were limp as the brittle palm fronds on the beach and you splayed yourselves on the elevator’s floor.

“Won’t he come after us? After you?”

You shake your head, “No, I just quit being an Inquisitor, remember? I’m not that valuable to him—not anymore at the very least.”

“Well, you are to me. And you always will be.”

Cal crawled towards you, propping his whole weight onto his elbow while his free hand holding and caressing your cheek as he saw the golden hue in your eyes recede; he inches close to you and his lips reached for yours. He couldn’t help it anymore, he allowed himself to weep; tears uncontrollably fell from his eyes and splattered on the cold metal floor.

“Don’t you _ever_ scare me like that again, you… you damn troublemaker, you!” he whimpered.

You hugged him back, comforting him as you let him cry it all out. You whisper comforts in his ear—even the things he already knows: you tell him you love him so much, that you kept your promise, and that you’re there by his side now.

As soon as the elevator stopped with one last rumble, you took and wrapped Cal’s arm around your shoulder whilst supporting him by the waist and he held on to you for balance. You helped him out of the elevator and both of you hobbled back out into the open. The dawn has broken out its first few moments.

The partisans caught sight of you, they abruptly reported to Cere; she—along with Greez and Merrin—rushed out of the Mantis and looked to the horizon of the fortress, as soon as she saw you and Cal together with her own eyes, the anxiety that constricted her heart finally loosened.

Finally reuniting with Cere and the crew, you read the emotion plastered on her face as she saw you. A look of surprise and of so many questions to ask.

“Cere,” you weakly said. “Sorry to have kept you waiting.”

She can see that Darth Vader wasn’t able to take away your sarcasm. Her lips trembled and her eyes watered. She took you and Cal in her arms and all her tears simply fell. She tightened her hold around the two of you. She held you closer and closer until she has already your bodies to hers. You rested your cheek on her shoulder.

“It’s fine. You’re both home.” She sobbed.

Merrin and Greez joined in on the group hug. Merrin beamed a sweet smile to you as she brushed the loose lock of hair that hung over your forehead and then she rested her cheek on your head. You let out a sigh of relief, more tears fell from your eyes—but they were tears of joy.

The heaviness of your heart is gone. Cere is right: _you are home._


End file.
